A Guide to Load Restraint

A Guide to Load Restraint

It’s a dismal fact that incorrect or non-compliant load restraints can cause fatalities. The National Transport Commission together with the RTA (NSW) has compiled the Load Restraint Guide to assist drivers with mitigating the risk of carrying loads.

The Guide outlines essential, basic principles that all drivers, operators and anyone included in the chain of responsibility need to understand.

In most simple terms, loads need to be secured to prevent movement during any operation. According to the NTC, the restrained system used meet the below criteria:

The load should not become dislodged from the vehicle.

Load movement should be limited, ie. any movement may not adversely affect the vehicle’s stability and weight distribution, or become dislodged from the vehicle.

There is minimal leeway for movement within loads, that are effectively contained within the sides of a vehicle or enclosure in the vehicle body, such as:

Loads that are effectively restrained from moving horizontally (limited vertical movement is acceptable).